9 DIY Leprechaun Traps to Make St. Patrick’s Day Even More Festive

Santa Claus has milk and cookies. The Tooth Fairy has her tooth-shaped pillows. But what about St. Patrick? For decades, the day devoted to the patron saint of Ireland has been associated with wearing green, eating Irish-themed food, and pinching. Now, thanks to the best-selling children’s book How to Catch a Leprechaun, there’s a fun way to excite your little ones over St. Patrick’s Day—leprechaun traps.

What is a Leprechaun Trap?

The Leprechaun Trap tradition is similar to the Elf on the Shelf concept from Christmas, but with way less work for Mom and Dad. Rather than moving an elf to a new location each night, you set up a leprechaun trap the night before St. Patrick’s Day. If you wake up to find gold coins or treasure in the trap, you’ll know you’ve caught a leprechaun.

The best part about this tradition is that it can be easily executed by the kids—all you have to do is add the coins once they’re asleep (unless a leprechaun beats you to it). To start this tradition with your family, grab a copy of the book How to Catch a Leprechaun to learn a bit about St. Patrick’s Day and to educate the kids on the art of leprechaun-catching. Then set them loose with craft supplies! Check out a few of our favorite versions to inspire your own DIY leprechaun trap.

DIY Leprechaun Trap with Candy

This sweet St. Patrick's Day display is centered around a large jar of colorful marshmallows and candy chocolate coins. A sparkly 'free gold' sign and shiny ladder made from metallic paper straws is sure to lure in a little leprechaun.

DIY Leprechaun Trap Tray

Turn your leprechaun trap into a St. Patrick's Day decor display by creating it on a decorative tray rather than the traditional box. Here, a gold tray fits the theme while providing a base for a festive centerpiece. A miniature rainbow, cauldron, and top hat provide the leprechaun 'trap' alongside shamrock confetti and gold coins.

Dollar Store Leprechaun Trap

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day on a budget with a DIY leprechaun trap made with dollar store materials. This adorable pastel display uses cardboard, paint, and dollar store accessories for a festive craft that doesn't burst your budget.

DIY Leprechaun Trap

This DIY leprechaun trap uses recycled materials to attract a leprechaun. The green cardboard box (you could also use a painted shoe box!) provides a backdrop for a small pot of gold and chocolate coins. Gold pipe cleaners and shamrock-shape garland add additional color.

Rainbow Road Leprechaun Trap

Every leprechaun knows that at the end of a rainbow, there’s sure to be a pot of gold. So, borrow this idea from Harli of Ms. Harli’s Honeys: Lay down a sheet of rainbow-striped paper for leprechauns to follow, then let the kids decorate the sides of a box covered in green paper. Prop it up with a wooden skewer cut in half. When a leprechaun comes to steal your pot of gold, the box will fall, trapping him inside.

Leprechaun Trap Garden

A secret trap door is a sneaky way to catch a leprechaun. Build a ladder of painted green crafts sticks, then mount it against a small box (like the wooden one seen above). Cover the top with bright colored paper in hopes that a curious leprechaun will climb the ladder and fall in. Tonya Staab decorated her scene with free printable signs from book publisher Harper Collins to make the trap even more enticing.

Bird House Leprechaun Trap

Kids will love decorating this adorable DIY leprechaun trap, made by Jess from Everyday Party Magazine. Help them paint a small wooden birdhouse in a rainbow of colors and allow it to dry. Place the house on a decorative platter, surrounded by chocolate coins and sparkly foam dots (available at crafts stores). Print out or make your own colorful rainbow on cardstock and attach it to the roof of your trap to attract leprechauns by the dozen.

Top Hat Leprechaun Trap

There’s nothing like the promise of free gold to lure a leprechaun to your trap. Kellie from The Suburban Soapbox made the festive hat out of green poster board, then topped it with a pipe-cleaner rainbow, cotton ball clouds, and a black pot filled with gold candy—or individually-wrapped candies. We’re loving the ladder made from green paper straws, too.

DIY Leprechaun Trap Box

This homemade leprechaun trap is super easy to make. Steph from Modern Parents Messy Kids transformed a plain brown box with a stripe of green paint, sparkly shamrocks, and a pipe-cleaner rainbow. Chipboard boxes like this one are inexpensive and can be found at most crafts stores, so why not buy a trap for each child to decorate?